Changing the world for one dog at a time.

Annie's Orphans Dog Shelter in Durango, CO

ANNIE'S ORPHANS

Hours of Operation: BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

(Advance scheduling is needed and appreciated!)

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MEET MURDOCK!

This happy little boy is representative of Annie's Orphans' dedication to the foundations that "LIFE MATTERS" and "EVERYONE DESERVES A FAIR CHANCE." This Carolina Dog puppy was brought in with his brother a mere two-hours before their young lives were scheduled to come to an end. Little is known about their back-story, but they were picked up as strays with evidence of physical trauma -- whether intentional or not, we will never know. Murdock's brother, Campbell (now "Gus"), promptly found a home. Murdock is still here, due to special needs. He is experiencing developmental delays and odd behavioral patterns, due to what we presume is trauma-related brain-damage. Steadily, we are seeing positive changes in Murdock, with visual "miswiring" gradually correcting itself and behavioral patterns taking on a more normative range {i.e. reduced "watching airplanes" that don't exist (to us, at least), increased social engagement}. Despite his challenges, Murdock is one of the most innocent and happiest beings on earth. He would be suited for a home that has plenty of love to give and a heart for taking on challenge, with the potential of making a huge difference, as we have reason to believe that Murdock will blossom -- given a supportive environment, with exposure to standard doggy life-tasks, as well as graduated introduction to all types of stimulation. Afterall,

"When the brain's primary "learning center" is damaged, complex new neural circuits arise to compensate for the lost function, say life scientists from UCLA and Australia who have pinpointed the regions of the brain involved in creating those alternate pathways — often far from the damaged site." -- Alison Heather, UCLA Newsroom, May15,2013

This doesn't mean that the task will be simple; in fact, the most rewarding outcomes don't generally come from easy-street. but big dividends are a strong likelihood, given the growth we're seeing with Murdock. If you're the special person for this special "special needs" boy, please give a call!

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UPDATE ON CHICO!!!!!!!!!! IT LOOKS LIKE HE HAS FOUND A NEW HOME! THANKS TO THE MANY WHO TOOK INTEREST IN HIS PLIGHT AND WERE READY TO GO INTO ACTION! HAVE A HAPPY LIFE, CHICO !!

ANOTHER SAD STORY:THIS OUTSTANDING BOY IS IN REAL TROUBLE!!

Chico is a 6 year old German Shepherd, whose family has run into a serious, life-changing economic wall. As a result, Chico has been displaced! He has had the good fortune of being kept temporarily by a supportive friend who does dog-boarding; but this is not a situation where permanent placement is possible and now, time is of the essence. Chico is still intact, but otherwise fully up-to-date on all vet work. He is represented to us, by both owner and current caregiver, as a well-trained, obedient dog (see the below link of him doing agility-work) and as a big boy, full of energy and playfulness, raised in a home with a kid, house trained/crate trained and microchipped. We’re told that he is used to daily activity/exercise with his owner, including dog-parks, and that he has never had a negative interaction with other dogs. (In fact, he has been avoidant of confrontation with dogs, per the owner. The caregiver sees Chico as alpha in personality and believes he would prefer to remain in a single-pet household.) His interactions with people have also been positive, including during vet-work, extensive grooming and boarding at several facilities. Now, the problem piece: After the stress of losing his life-long home and family, confinement and lack of exercise, efforts were made to get rehoming assistance from local (southeast Texas) shelters. Chico didn’t pass temperament testing. We were told by the current caregiver, a dog professional, (who was present) that these temp-tests were not appropriately administered, but the results still leave Chico in a dire predicament, as he now carries the stigma of being "unadoptable," despite having no history of aggressiveness.

Help is desperately needed now. Chico needs to find a loving home. Please contact us with your interest in helping, share this posting, do what you can to assist Chico…

The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them. That's the essence of inhumanity.

George Bernard Shaw

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THIS DOG IS MISSING: BANDIT

HE WAS LAST SEEN AROUND MEMORIAL DAY NEAR C.R. 232/GRANDVIEW AREA NEAR SONOCO. IF SEEN, PLEASE CALL HIS OWNER 602-717-2563 OR ANNIE'S ORPHANS. FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND INFORMATION, PLEASE VIEW OUR FACEBOOK LINK. PLEASE, HELP THIS BOY FIND HIS WAY HOME!

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WARM WEATHER INVITES ACTION AND HELP IS VERY MUCH NEEDED AT ANNIE’S ORPHANS!

If you’ve been moved to help an animal in need, but didn’t know how to go about it OR if you’ve always been active in being a good steward and currently have the space in your life for doing it again….HERE IS A VERY REAL WAY TO OFFER INVALUABLE ASSISTANCE AT ANNIE’S ORPHANS:We are inSERIOUS NEEDofGOOD FOSTER HOMES, PARTICULARLY FOROLDER DOGS !

We currently have 14 dogs at our shelter that are or will soon be seniors.Some of these dogs have been here for a long time through no fault of their own.Others remain here because they need to be in a solo-pet household or because they’re shy…or simply because they’re older.

Fostering HUGELY benefits the dogs at Annie’s K9 Orphans in the following ways:

vProviding a home-environment, increased individual time and socialization

experiences for unadopted dogs, especially the seniors, who repeatedly vie for adopters’ attention, but are – sadly – passed by.

vOffering these dogs the opportunity to shine!After an initial bonding and adjustment-period, these fellows will show you the love and loyalty that someone else has missed out on!

vOpening up a crucial chunk of time for our Care Specialist/Trainer and volunteers to devote to helping some of the younger dogs become the best future-pets possible.

vLast, but certainly not least, opening critical kennel space to other dogs in

desperate need of temporary shelter.

These are some of our biggest short-term goals, because they are key to our overall objective of finding homes and companions for the greatest number of homeless dogs possible!! This can only be accomplished with your help!!

PLEASE READ ABOUT OUR SENIOR DOGS ON OUR WEBSITE AND SCHEDULE A TIME TO VISIT WITH ONE!ALSO, GOOGLE AND EXPLORE THE WEALTH OF INFORMATION ABOUT:

--THE INCREDIBLE PERSONAL BENEFITS OF FOSTERING A NEEDY ANIMAL

AND

--WHY SENIOR DOGS MAKE EXCELLENT FOSTERED/ADOPTED PETS!

THEN, CALL ANNIE’S ORPHANS RIGHT AWAY WITH YOUR DECISION TO MAKE A MONUMENTAL DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF A

4-LEGGED FRIEND:

970-759-8811

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~~FEATURED DOG~~

ODIE

Odie is, truly, the Steve McQueen of dogs:Having boasted a scrappy and rebellious, independent and wild youth – running as top-dog with the gang – he has long-since seasoned into The Canine “King of Cool.”

This mellow, been there and back, senior dog would make an excellent addition to only the coolest of households; never a nerdly moment with this guy.While Odie enjoys his celebrity status at Annie’s Orphans, he has a lot of affection and experience to offer the world – derived from 11 years of life education and a graduate degree in How to Make Ends Meet.He is looking to share his place in the spotlight with an equally epic individual! Even a touch of arthritis doesn’t affect Odie’s chill-attitude (or, for that matter, his independent problem-solving style; for example, when he decides cold-tubbing in the pool is an incredible feel-good)!

Collected with other dogs and excellent with people, Odie rocks!Want cool? Call about him at Annie’s Orphans: 970-759-8811.

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OUT OF LO-DEBAR

**Read this rescue-horse story in our Blog Section**

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:THIS STORY IS OFFERED WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO SOUTHWEST AGFOR YOUR KINDNESS AND GENEROUS ASSISTANCE AT A TIME WHEN IT WAS NEEDED!

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**SEE OUR RECENTLY-ADDED FAQS PAGE**

CLICK ON OUR FAQS LINK TO READ CURRENT INFORMATION AND ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS RELATED TO OUR WORK, THE SHELTER AND DOGS IN GENERAL!

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MOVE OVER, MILLAN !!

Annie’s Orphans takes tremendous pride in introducing our exceptional staff-member, Michael O’Rork. This uber-talented and highly valued individual has become irreplaceable within our organization! While television tutelage with experts such as Cesar Millan and Victoria Stilwell has unleashed an entire generation of self-proclaimed “dog whisperers,” our own Mike is, without doubt, the REAL DEAL! His firm but gentle handling and his calm, soft-spoken demeanor have proven to work magic: even some of our toughest behavioral cases have been responding famously to Mike. His experience with animals is impressive and stretches beyond accomplishments with our domesticated friends to include a background within the wildlife refuge setting: lions, tigers and bears, PLUS! Our dogs adore Mike and so do we! We’re grateful for our stroke of luck in finding you, Mike!

MIKE WITH SEAGER

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!STILL LOOKING FOR A HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PEANUT

SEE BIO ON DOGS FOR ADOPTION PAGE 1

THIS OUTSTANDING (PERSONABLE AND GORGEOUS) DOG HAS WAITED TOO LONG FOR HER DREAM OF A GOOD HOME!

SKILLED CARPENTERS & BUILDERS: Annie's Orphans would love to hear from you if you have any time to volunteer toward a building project that is in need of completion. If you can offer time and have a desire to assist, please call us at 970-759-8811.

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ANNIE'S ORPHANS

ABOUT US:

Annie's Orphans is a No-Kill dog shelter located in Durango, Colorado which began in 1985 as a home for retired sled dogs. With dogs for adoption in Durango, CO, Annie's Orphans is the oldest No-Kill dog shelter in the Four Corners area.

Even though it started as a home for retired sled dogs, given Anna and Bill Anderson's compassion for animals in distress, this limited scope was quickly revised to become a more "all-inclusive" strategy. The shelter grew rapidly into a full-fledged, all breed rescue and was incorporated as a not-for-profit foundation in 1997. Annie's Orphans now has a maximum capacity of 70 dogs and has become a safe-haven for the abandoned, neglected, and abused pet population throughout the greater Four Corners area. However, due to a high in-flow of rescued dogs, a number of older dogs in residence with considerable health care needs and those that are hard to adopt because of the traumatic lives they have led, the shelter remains at perpetual full-capacity and that is where we need your help!

The goal of Annie's Orphans is to offer abused, discarded and hard to adopt dogs a safe haven until good adoptive homes can be found. Unfortunately, some arrivals have chronic health problems or are too traumatized to adjust easily to a new family. These hard luck stories often find a home for life at Annie's. Food and veterinary care for these long-term residents amount to a larger expense than can be supported through the sale of Black Feather Jewelry and the generous donations from our community. Financial assistance is therefore always needed for the shelter to continue providing a safe home in the mountains. Various supplies and materials are also an ongoing need at our facility. Please see our "wish-list" by accessing the Donate page.

Our hope with this website is to create a simple and user friendly way for you to participate and to stay up to date on the dogs that are up for adoption, scheduled events and information about Annie's Orphans. This will help us continue to save the world for one dog at a time! Since 1985, the shelter has placed hundreds of dogs in carefully selected forever-homes. Thanks to our community, generous donations and our fantastic volunteers, we continue our mission to rescue, rehab and re-home!

Please check in regularly, visit our Events page, our Dogs For Adoption page and our Blogto stay involved, remain informed and to help us spread the No-Kill mission for those without a voice of their own! Thank you for your interest and for helping us to change the world -- one dog at a time!